We spent Labor Day in Martha’s Vineyard with Eric’s family and it was every bit as picturesque and beautiful as I had imagined. As a kid, my family and I spent many summers road tripping and had a few adventures where we drove through this north east. Until this trip, I hadn’t done an East Coast summer vacation in a decade plus. Being able to escape the heat and enjoy summer on a beach and with cooler night air was incredible.

Traveling with kids is never easy, even when you have some extra hands and help. We had some early risers (think 4:30 am) and to keep them waking the house, we had to pull them into bed with us which meant our day started at 4:30. But that’s a blip in history and looking back on these lovely photos in our 2021 yearbook will be pretty special.

This post is more of a travel diary than guide. I have a few recommendations but I think a lot of this town is open for exploration.We did a lot of walking around and stumbling into places like Raw Bar where we tried Oysters (great outdoor patio!). We had to stop into the original Vineyard Vines, of course, and look around. But with kids, the best thing we did is hunker down at the beach. We spent an entire morning there by bringing a pack n play, umbrella, gazillion snacks, and plenty of water. Setting Jack up to nap peacefully got us all set!

I wanted to touch on a few things that I think are must-dos for adults who visit. We were able to get out for a few meals while Eric’s mom watched the kids and my favorites were dinner at Bettini, beers at Bad Martha’s Brewery, and lunch at Atlantic. Bettini is located inside the Harbor View hotel across from the water and had a gorgeous wrap-around-porch. I loved the appetizers and my halibut meal. Bad Martha’s has a huge garden and often has live music playing. I really enjoyed their wheat beer and listening to the guitarist. I wish we had stayed longer or gotten a seat outside but we were on a mission to see and do as much in our window of childcare :)

The Atlantic is a restaurant located on the water and I loved their lobster salad! Chowder is a MUST on Martha’s Vineyard. Getting any type of seafood is.

We were really lucky to have gorgeous weather. I’m not sure what kind of things we would have done with our kids otherwise. In terms of places to stay, we had a really neat rental home that included a backyard play set. With varying nap schedules, it was a great place to set up some kids and do crafts while we re-grouped and rested.

This is a short travel diary but I’m very grateful for these adventures my family and I have been so lucky to have together. We snapped a photo with everyone smiling that we will treasure forever! Over-the-top preppy too: perfect for Martha’s Vineyard.

east coast beach vacation family vacation martha's vineyard